


I'll Wait

by Faline_Bells



Category: Pacific Rim (Movies)
Genre: Aftermath, Sad Ending
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-28 01:49:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,007
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22505845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faline_Bells/pseuds/Faline_Bells
Summary: The story describe what happened after the first movie in my imagination. Not really a happy ending, but somewhat bittersweet
Relationships: Raleigh Becket/Mako Mori
Kudos: 9





	I'll Wait

A/N : I'm a huge fan of this movie, literally watch it for about 10 times already ^-^ (Not the sequel, though. I hates it.)

_____________________________

"I'll always be there for you. You can always find me in the Drift!"

His words still ringing her ears. Everything is pitch dark, she can't see anything, yet she feel like she should do something, something very important. And she can't remember what exactly it is.

Suddenly the light almost blinded her, and she opened her eyes to a clear blue sky and the familiar smell of salt water. Mako blinked rapidly, try to remember what happened.

'....... giving her his oxygen.'  
'.......okay now, Mako.....finish this alone.......have to do is fall. Anyone can fall.'  
'......You don't have much time......core melt down......get out of there now!'

Mako gasp, suddenly feel restricted and breathless, trapped inside emergency pod. She quickly get up when she heard Tendo's voice 'Vital signs are good' and take off her helmet, take a look at the surrounding. All around till the edge of her sight is the surface of Pacific Ocean, calming waves and deep blue water as she stand floating in her pod, alone. Alone. 

Mako started to panicked. Where is Raleigh ? Surely he hadn't stay behind for too long, right ? His pod must have ejected right after hers, right ? So where is he ? 

Her eyes keep wandering, searching for any clue of his pod, they must have drifted off from each other along the way floating up from the depth of the ocean. Mako tried to keep calm, frantic looking until a loud splash coming from behind her, nearly make her have a heart attack.

Raleigh's pod, she thought and immediately jump into the water, swimming to it, barely notice the weight of her pilot suit. Grab hold the floating pack, she climb on top of his pod. Unlike hers, his pod did not automatically open, and she noticed that he's unconscious and Tendo said that he can't track any vital signals. Mako quickly pull the release trigger to send the lid fly off, get rid of his helmet as fast as she could and press on his neck to find pulse, but the collar of his suit and her glove make it impossible to find.

"I can't find his pulse. I don't think he is breathing." Mako exclaimed into the intercom, her panic return full force. This can't be happening. No, not him too. Not after Sensei. Mako called Raleigh multiple times, her voice scared and vulnerable. She completely ignore Tendo's voice reassure her that the sensor may not working and can't be sure, hook her arms around him and haul him up, hug him tight as she sob into his shoulder, plead for him to stay while Tendo still calling her, even his voice fanthom her fear in his short breath. She buried her face close to him, hold him as tight as she could, It can't be, if he's gone then what she had left to lose ? Her family, Sensei, her Jaeger and now Raleigh ? No, it will be alright, she can't lose hope now. She can't be the lone survivor. For a moment of deadly silent she almost despair and broke down.

"You're squeezing me too tight." His muffled rasp voice spoke softly in her ear, make her freeze. She quickly pushed him up as he cough and look at his face. His eyes seem dazed for a moment before focus to her face and grinned. "I couldn't breathe." And she laughed, relief run through her body. And not just relief, a huge block of emotion that she can't realize melt away from her. She look at him, her partner, notice everything. His hair, blowing in the wind glittering like gold threads, and his eyes, look all joy and sad and relief, stare back at her like he could barely regconize her. She notice that unconsciously, she smiled at him, very brightly, the way she thought she had forgotten.

Through the intercom she can faintly hear the sound of cheering and Herc's announcement, loud and clear "Stop the clock!". The cheering continue and Tendo call to inform that chopper are on their way, but she look up at the sky with Raleigh, grateful for the sunlight that she thought she can never see again when she was under the ocean, the darkness and danger that she had descend into, fully prepare for a one-way trip. She look back at Raleigh's face, regconize he's feeling the same as her. They both have made it, survive the impossible, and with that thought they press their forehead to each other, Mako close her eyes and sighed with relief, but Raleigh still look at her. He gently pulled her into his arms, held her as her body sagged against his, silently calm her down as he felt she shivered lightly, obviously crying. He glad that he can control his emotion a little bit better and manage to stop the tears. It's over, now it's over. 

________________________

Mako woke up, drenched in sweats. Her eyes wandering through the darkness of her bunk until she saw the desk lamp. Another nightmare, she thought and sighed. They keep coming back to her - the AI monotone voice, the strong force hit at every impact made it hard to breath, Sensei determined order, Chuck last words and the dazed, fear afterward. They don't go away, they still here, haunting every time she close her eyes. The press conferences and celebrations did not help, only made it worse - she drowned in questions about those moments, the Jaeger program - and lots of meeting with world goverment representatives. Raleigh had suprise her by manage all with grace, help her with uncomfortable questions and shut up a few annoying reporters pressing too much. Now things started to calm down a little, when the UN decided what to do with the remaining of PPDC, espeacially dealing with the 2 heroes and people of a program they had casted aside to waste money on the coastal walls. In the meantime, everyone continue to stay in Shatterdome, await new orders.

Mako didn't think that she could come back to sleep. She is alone, and desperately want to get out of here. Before she could think of anything else, she put on a jacket and ran to open the door, suprised by what she saw outside.

Raleigh is sitting in the steps in front of his bunk, looking down at the floor and deep in thought, tired and she didn't think he had any sleep. 

"Aren't you supposed to be asleep ? It's midnight." Raleigh look up when he heard her door open and asked.

"I had....uhm....trouble sleeping."

"Nightmare ?" She nodded. He smiled.

"Guess I'm not the only one, huh ?" He said and close his eyes, take a deep breath. Mako sit down next to him and leaned on his shoulder.

"I saw them, you know ?" Raleigh said, his voice sound sad and lonely. "Again and again. I saw Chuck's cocky smile and arrogant attitude, made me almost laugh. I replayed the time I fought him to defend you, he was a crazy good soldier, if his temper didn't blind him. And I remember how nervous he was before we deployed." He keep talking in the same tone, Mako listened quietly.

"I even saw Marshal, from the time both Yancy and I were newbie pilots, you wouldn't believe if I told you that before our first drop, he spend hours to describe the process inside the Conn Pod for us. Even Yancy almost fell asleep." He chuckled.

"That's actually possible." Mako smiled.

"Maybe. So yeah, almost every drop he ordered Yancy to keep me in line. He pissed off with me many times back then." Raleigh grinned, fond of those old memories. "Then I disappeared for 5 years after the last drop with Yancy, he found me crawling on the wall at Sitka. I can still remember his low voice when he told me that all the other Mark 3 pilots are dead, he clearly upset about it." Raleigh stopped smiling, his face look serious.

"And I saw Yancy again. I thought I had learn to forgot them at those 5 years time, but no. I saw him joking at simulation that it's just like video games, then after our first actual drop, Drifts Hangover so we stick to each other and spend the entire day brainstorm our choice of naming Gypsy. Every drops he agreed to go with my spotaneous idea, then alter them to his way. His grin when he told me don't get cocky. His urgent voice when he yelled 'Raleigh, listen to me!' . And when I saw Gypsy again after a long time, I could almost hear Yancy told me 'Welcome back, kiddo'." Raleigh voice full of emotions, just like the time he told her after their first Drifts about Yancy. She knows it - every times she connected with him, all of his memories focus on his time with Yancy, his longing, his pain mixed with the remain of his brother in his head. Mako hugged his arm for comfort.

"After what we've been through, they all come back at once, and I have trouble to decide to forget them to move on or stop to see all of it. I don't wanna close my eyes because of them, but when I'm too tired I can feel myself willingly let them come and stay in it, watch it over and over." Raleigh sounded so in pain, and she felt it as if she is the one feel it. Maybe.

"Raleigh, I feel the same, too. They jolted me awake, and I scared of the dark like a little girl again. I felt like I was the frightened lonely small girl in Tokyo, crying for someone to come, but no one did. I was in dazed at every events for the past few weeks, acting like a programmed robot. And I scared to sleep, right now." Mako whispered. 

"I saw the Onibaba, the day Sensei saved me and bring me into his custody. I remember both Sensei and his son done their best to protect me from bad dreams when I was a child. I remember him promised me that one day I can be a Jaeger pilot when I cried out, almost broke down from grieve. I remember his astonished face at my simulations score when I graduated." Mako said.

"I remember the first time I met Chuck, he was a real sore loser when I beat him in training, but Max like me so he tolerated it and sometime even help me with my project. He was a good guy." Mako chuckled softly. "And when the Wei Tang brothers came, they were very nice, playing around when they thought no one notice and finished each other words as if they were constantly in neural handshake. And the Kaidonovsky, you might thought they are cold and harsh but actually they were soft and nice. Aleksis and Sasha has 2 daughters back at Vladivostock, and they would do anything to protected them. That's why they never stop fighting."

"And after that, the darkness come. The fear, anguish I felt at the botton of the ocean come to me. Everything come like a chain reaction, once started they can't stop until I frozen with fear and cry out loud. I don't want to see them, at all, but I can't control it. And I felt weak like this." She said, her voice thicked with tears.

"Don't be, Mako. No one could cope with them. You're not weak. If so then I'm a coward, cause I've actually run away from it. No one have the right to expect you to get over it. No one." Raleigh said, shift his arm through her shoulder and gently stroke her hair. She likes it, the way he comfort her, so she said nothing. And they just sat there, for a long time.

_________________________

Mako guessed that nobody surprise when they started dating. The world gorverment decided to support Jaeger Program and PPDC as a precaution for situation like Kaiju and promote Raleigh as Advisor General and Mako as Secretary General. Herc still staying at his position as Marshal of Jager Program, along with Tendo. Mako think that Herc didn't want to leave Hong Kong, where he could go to the memorial site everyday and look at his son every achievement outside the empty grave, no body to burried. Dr Newton and Gottlieb took the offer to research all the remain of Kaiju corpses they could get their hands on for PPDC. The Jaeger Program is being rebuild with blueprints of new generations Jaeger comes from all over the world. Raleigh said that better late then never, and the new job somehow keep them busy and distracted from their mental health. But they meet each other daily, and move out of Shatterdome to an apartment outside Los Angeles together, near the big city enough for important meetings, yet far from drama and noises. Mako sometimes get to see her brother Jake and Raleigh help him during the time Jake training to be Jaeger pilot, along with their line of works. 

The nightmare keep continued, but they have each other. At night, Mako stays safe in Raleigh's embrace, his iron-hard muscle arms hugs her tight to his chest so gently while she could falls asleep to his heartbeat. When the nightmare came, Mako could wake up crying, but his embrace is safe and secure. Raleigh hold Mako tight so he can't got lost in his dreams, reassure the reality. 

Every day, Raleigh done the best he could to make Mako smile, usually succeed. Mako talks to him a lot, made him tease her that she had gone Mama Hen on him. They trained everyday, sparing each other for stress relieve. Sometimes Raleigh and Mako got a trip to pilot training academy, started neural handshake as strong as ever in simulations or trial runs of new Jaeger. Their movements still strong and precise, completely in sync in front of the training pilots admire eyes. Raleigh and Mako experiences inspired many people to joined the Jaeger Program, as well as their gratitude for what they did. Days like this is something that Mako fully enjoyed.

__________________________

When Raleigh suddenly collapsed when they visiting Anchorage Station to check out Jaeger Mark 6 recent deployments there, everything changed. Perform Jaeger solo combat twice did not leave a good parting gift, no matter how short it was. His brain and body had manage the best they could, the fact that he can hold on for 6 years after the Battle of the Breach was a miracle, they said. But the tolls pent up as time passed, and now at best he could only survive for a year, before the worse happen. Hearing this, Raleigh was strangely calm, he seems to had expected some outcome like this years ago, but Mako didn't want to give up. She tried to get him best medical attendants, looking everywhere for a way to save him. She had tried to convince him stop working at PPDC countless time, but he refused. 

She still remember that night when they came home and she told him for the final time that it would be better if he stop working and focus on his treatment. Raleigh had gone quiet for a moment, then he sat down at the sofa, pulled her next to him and hold her close. Leaned on his shoulder while he buries his face in her hair, Mako listened to his warm, calming voice.

"I can't, Mako. I've spent too many years doing nothing while others shoulder the worst. Now even if for one last hour I still want to keep working, otherwise I'll lose my mind. I don't want to think for one second that there might be a day apocalypse come again and we only had 1 or 2 Jaegers to protect the whole world. That burden is not something anybody should have had." Raleigh spoke slowly and steady, but firm that he'll not stop, no matter what. Mako known this, he had try to tell her, but she just brushed that away. She clings on him too much now to even think of move on without him, but Raleigh has read her mind and spoke this.

"Beside Mako, without me you're still great. I could barely done anything, while you organize most of the deployments, the production efficiency and war-strategy precaution. You're fine with me butt around uselessly. And. . . We will always be with you, no matter where you go. Just close your eyes and called the names, we'll be there. Anyone you wanted to see. We can't leave anyway." Raleigh said as if he is already one of the gone away. Mako could hardly hold back her tears hearing him like that. She sobbed into his chest, listen to the heartbeat that she noticed that every single day is slower and lighter. Like a candle about to snuff out any moment.

____________________________

Losing him was hard and agonizing. Mako could not stand at all and Jake had to support her for the entire funeral. She can't cry anymore, the tears had long dry from the moment he had stop breathing. The pain tore her apart while the press kept poking around like a pack of hungry wolves. Everybody come and go, Herc, Tendo, some governors,. . . but all she could see was his smile, gentle and warm. His stupid jokes about Mama Hen, feign scared when she yelled at Jake, horrifying at her choice of house decorating that was way too Japanese for him, some kisses and hugs, memories being together that was so happy enough to pulled her out of despair and darkness.

I'll live Raleigh, as long as I could. No more apocalypse, no more fighting Kaiju, no more nightmare, for as long as I live. Wait for me, I'll come to you. Soon


End file.
